Catholic Encyclopedia: Alexander II, Pope
As Anselm of Lucca, he had been recognized for a number of years as one of the
leaders of the reform party, especially in the Milanese territory, where he was born at
Baggio, of noble parentage. Together with Hildebrand, he had imbibed in Cluny (q. v.)
the zeal for reformation. The first theatre of his activity was Milan, where he was one
of the founders of the Pataria, and lent to that great agitation against simony and
clerical incontinency the weight of his eloquence and noble birth. The device of
silencing him, contrived by Archbishop Guido and other episcopal foes of reform in
Lombardy, viz. sending him to the court of the Emperor Henry III, had the contrary
effect of enabling him to spread the propaganda in Germany. In 1057 the Emperor
appointed him to the bishopric of Lucca. With increased prestige, he reappeared twice
in Milan as legate of the Holy See, in 1057 in the company of Hildebrand, and in 1059
with St. Peter Damiani. Under the able generalship of this saintly triumvirate the
reform forces were held well in hand, in preparation for the inevitable conflict. The
decree of Nicholas II (1059) by which the right of papal elections was virtually vested
in the College of Cardinals, formed the issue to be fought and decided at the next
vacancy of the Apostolic Throne. The death of Pope Nicholas two years later found
both parties in battle array. The candidate of the Hildebrandists, endorsed by the
cardinals, was the Bishop of Lucca- the other side put forward the name of Cadalus,
Bishop of Parma, a protector and example of the prevailing vices of the age. The
cardinals met in legal form and elected Anselm, who took the name of Alexander II.
Before proceeding to his enthronization, the Sacred College notified the German Court
of their action. The Germans were considered to have forfeited the privilege of
confirming the election. reserved to their king with studied vagueness in the decree of
Nicholas II, when they contemptuously dismissed the ambassador of the cardinals
without a hearing. Foreseeing a civil war, the cardinals on 30 September completed the
election by the ceremony of enthronization. Meanwhile a deputation of the Roman
nobles, who were enraged at their elimination as a dominant factor in the papal
elections, joined by deputies of the unreformed episcopate of Lombardy, had
proceeded to the German Court with a request for the royal sanction to a new election.
The Empress Agnes, as regent for her ten-year-old son, Henry IV, convoked an
assembly of lay and clerical magnates at Basle; and here, without any legal right, and
without the presence of a single cardinal, the Bishop of Parma was declared Pope, and
took the name of Honorius II (28 October). In the contest which ensued, Pope
Alexander was supported by the consciousness of the sanctity of his cause, by public
opinion clamouring for reform, by the aid of the allied Normans of southern Italy, and
by the benevolence of Beatrice and Matilda of Tuscany. Even in Germany things took a
favourable turn for him, when Anno of Cologne seized the regency, and the repentant
Empress withdrew to a convent. In a new diet, at Augsburg (Oct., 1062), it was
decided that Burchard, Bishop of Halberstadt should proceed to Rome and, after
investigating the election of Alexander on the spot, make a report to a later assemblage
of the bishops of Germany and Italy. Burchard's report was entirely in favour of
Alexander. The latter defended his cause with eloquence and spirit in a council held at
Mantua, at Pentecost, 1064 (C. Wile, Benzos Panegyricus, Marburg, 1856), and was
formally recognized as legitimate Pope. His rival was excommunicated, but kept up
the contest with dwindling prospects till his death in l 072. During the darkest hours of
the schism Alexander and his chancellor, Cardinal Hildebrand, never for a moment
relaxed their hold upon the reins of government. In striking contrast to his helplessness
amidst the Roman factions is his lofty attitude towards the potentates lay and clerical,
of Europe. Under banners blessed by him Roger advanced to the conquest of Sicily,
and William to the conquest of England. His fill eleven pages of Jaffe
(Regesta Rom. Pontif., 2d ed., 4, nos. 445, 4770). He was omnipresent, through his
legates, Punishing simoniacal bishops and incontinent clerics. He did not spare even
his protector, Anno of Cologne whom he twice summoned to Rome, once in 1068 to do
penance, barefoot, for holding relations with the antipope, and again in 1070 to purge
himself of the charge of simony. A similar discipline was administered to Sigfried of
Mainz, Hermann of Bamberg, and Werner of Strasburg. In his name his legate, St.
Peter Damiani, at the Diet of Frankfurt in 1089, under threat of excommunication and
exclusion from the imperial throne, deterred Henry IV from the project of divorcing
his queen, Bertha of Turin, though instigated thereto by several German bishops. His
completest triumph was that of compelling Bishop Charles of Constance and Abbot
Robert of Reichenau to return to the King the croziers and rings they had obtained
through simony. One serious quarrel with Henry was left to be decided by his
successor. In 1069 the Pope had rejected as a simonist the subdeacon Godfrey, whom
Henry had appointed Archbishop of Milan- Henry failing to acquiesce, the Pope
confirmed Atto, the choice of the reform party. Upon the king's ordering his appointee
to be consecrated, Alexander fulminated an anathema against the royal advisers. The
death of the Pope, 21 April, 1073, left Hildebrand, his faithful chancellor, heir to his
triumphs and difficulties. Alexander deserved well of the English Church by elevating
his ancient teacher, Lanfranc of Bec (q. v.), to the See of Canterbury and appointing
him Primate of England.
JAMES F. LOUGHLIN
Transcribed by Gerard Haffner
Taken from the New Advent Web Page (www.knight.org/advent).
This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an effort aimed at placing the
entire Catholic Encyclopedia on the World Wide Web. The coordinator is Kevin Knight,
editor of the New Advent Catholic Website. If you would like to contribute to this
worthwhile project, you can contact him by e-mail at (knight@knight.org). For
more information please download the file cathen.txt/.zip.
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